Gas-engine



' (No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 1.

13.13. COVEY 25G. W.. HAINES. GAS ENGINE.

No. 532,869 Patented Jan, 22, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Shet-Sheet 2. F. E. COVEY 8v G. WLHAINES. GAS ENGINE.

-N0.582,869.' PatentdJan. 22,1895.

wew/bow 4.0 v cylinder showing the sparker and the exhaust UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

FRANK E. OOVEY AND GEORGE W. HAINES, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

.GAS-ENGINE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,869, dated January 22,1895.

Application filed .April 3, 1894- Serial No. 506,138- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK E. Cover and GEORGE W. HAINES, citizens of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this'specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in that class of engines which are impelled by explosions of gas.

Our object is to provide a gas engine which is adapted to receive explosions at each end of the cylinder and it' consists in a cylinder which is mounted ona suitable foundation, a double headed piston inserted in such cylinder, connecting rods suitably attached to such piston, a cross-head attached to such connecting rods, a single connecting red attached to such cross-head and j ournaled on a crank of a crank shaft which crank-shaft is journaled in suitable journal bearings on one end of the foundation aforesaid, suitable valves, and operating machinery, and such other devices and combination of devices as will be more fully explained in the specifications and specifically pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved gas engine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of our gas engine, the cylinder of which is shown in section and the piston being shown partly in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional end view of the trip. Fig. at is a detached view of the operating gearing. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the electric contact.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the entire views.

A represents a cylinder having slots B in each side of the same, such cylinder being suitably mounted on a frame or foundation 0, which frame is rigidly secured to the floor.

The cylinder A is provided with a double ended hollow piston D which is adapted to slide horizontally within such cylinder A. Such piston D is provided with a piston rod E which is rigidly inserted in the piston transversely t0 the same, such rod E being horizontal.

F, are connecting rods which at one of their ends are journaled on the ends of the piston rod E and at their other ends are rigidly attached to a cross head G which ,is provided in its center with an opening into which opening is inserted a connecting rod H which is rigidly attached thereto, such connecting rod H being journaled at its outer end on a crank I of a crank-shaft J which shaft J is journaled in suitable journal-bearings, on one end of the frame 0, and provided on either end with balance wheels K.

L is a pulley for the purpose of transmitting power to any desired machinery.

The crank-shaft J is provided with a pinion M which is adapted to engage a gear N, the diameter of which is twice the diameter of the pinion M, such gear N being mounted on the inner end of a shaft 0 which is journaled on the frame 0, such shaft 0 being provided on its outer end with a bevel gear wheel P which is adapted to engage a bevel-gear wheel Q which is mounted on one end of a horizontal shaft R which shaft R is journaled on the side of the frame 0, and is provided near its center with a contact plate S which is adapted to engage and disengage a contact spring T as the shaft R revolves. The spring T is rigidly. attached to the side of the frame 0 such spring being insulated.

The shaft R is provided with collars U which are attached to such shaft R opposite the ends of the cylinder A, such collars U being provided with irregular cam grooves V which are adapted to receive the lower ends of downwardly extending arms A of spark devices composed essentially of the arms A, horizontal shafts B, which are adapted to rock as the arms A are vibrated by means of the grooves V, Such shafts B are inserted through the side of the cylinder and are provided with vertically extending arms 0 which are adapted to engage with downwardly extending arms D which are rigidly attached to horizontal arms E which are inserted through the ends of the cylinder, such arms E being insulated.

The collars U are provided on their periphcry with plates F which are adapted to engage with exhaust levers G which are pivotally attached to the side of the frame 0, such levers G being adapted to engage with exhaust valves H alternately such exhaust valves being attached on the lower side of the cylinder, as better shown in Fig. 3.

I, I, represent supply valves which are mounted on the top side of the cylinder and are maintained closed by means of springs J which are adapted to permit the ingress of gas as desired. Such valves 1 are connected by means of pipes K which are provided with check valves L and gage-cocks M. The pipes K are provided with a governor N, of ordinary type, which governor is propelled by means of a belt 0 which engages the governor and a grooved pulley P which is rigidly mounted on the shaft J at any suitable point.

The cylinder A is provided with a water chamber Q usually employed in gas engines.

R represents a wire which is attached at one end to the spring T, and at the other end to one pole of a battery S, and T is a wire which is attached at one end to the battery S, the other end of such wire being attached to the outer end of one of the arms E, and U represents a wire having its ends attached to the arms E thereby rendering the circuit complete when the contact spring "T is engaged by the plate S.

1 indicates valves between the pipes K, and the valves 1. These valves 1 are designed to admit air to the valves 1, and consequently to the cylinder A, in the operation of the machine.

The mode of operation of our improved gas engine, is as follows: The gas having been turned on the balance wheels K are given a start, by physical power or otherwise, when the shaft R is rotated which vibrates the arm 0 by means of the arm A and groove V which vibration engages and disengages the arms D and G which, as will be readily seen, connects and disconnects the electric current in a wiping process. The piston compresses the gas in one end of the cylinder and the arm G disconnects from the arm D, thereby causing a spark which ignites the compressed gas which forces the piston toward the other end of the cylinder, at which point the exhaust lever raises the exhaust valve, the plate F being suitably adjusted, thereby relieving the pressure from that end of the cylinder. The piston then returns and forces the spent gas from that end of the cylinder which is refilled as the piston recedes, the gas being admitted in at the valves 1 and upon the return of the piston the gas is compressed and ignited as above stated and the operation is repeated at each end alternately, the valves, levers and gearing being suitably adjusted so to do. Should the velocity be too great the governor cuts off the supply of gas thereby rendering the explosions lighter and the velocity less,

thus automatically regulating itself.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a gas engine, the combination of the cylinder, the double headed piston arranged and adapted to move in the cylinder, the horizontal arms E, arranged in the ends of the cylinder, a wire connecting said arms, the rock shafts B, having the vertical arms 0, adapted to contact with the arms E, and also having the arms A, the spring T, an electric generator 8, a wire connecting one of the arms E, and the generator, awire connecting the spring T, and the generator, a drive shaft, mechanism intermediate of the piston and the drive shaft, the shaft R, connected by gearing with the drive shaft and having a contact plate S, adapted to engage the contact spring and also having the collars U, provided with cam grooves V, engaging the arms A, of the rock shafts B, suitable means for supplying gas and air to the cylinder, and means for exhausting the same from the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A gas engine, comprising the cylinder having exhaust valves H, levers G, engaging said valves, a piston arranged in the cylinder, the horizontal arms E, arranged in the ends of the cylinder, a wire connecting said arms, the rock shafts B, having the vertical arms 0, adapted to contact with the arms E, and also having the arms A, the spring T, an electric generator S, a wire connecting one of the arms E, and the generator, a wire connecting the spring T, and the generator, a drive shaft, mechanism intermediate of the piston and the drive shaft, the shaft R, connected by gearing with the drive shaft and having the plates F, adapted to engage the levers G, and also having a contact plate S,

adapted to engage the contact spring and the collars U, provided with cam grooves V, engaging the arms A, of the rock shafts l3, and a suitable means for supplying gas and air to the cylinder, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a gas engine of the class described, the combination with a double ended cylinder which is provided with a water chamber, such cylinder being mounted on a suitable foundation of a double ended piston adapted to slide horizontally and longitudinally within such cylinder, the piston rod E' rigidly inserted transversely in such piston, the connecting rods, F and H and crosshead G, the crank-shaft J suitably mounted on journal hearings on the foundation, the balance wheels Kand pulley L, the pinion M, mounted on the shaft J, the gear wheel N adapted to engage the pinion M, such gear N being mounted on the inner end of the shaft 0, the bevel gear P mounted on the outer end of the shaft 0, the bevel gear Q mounted on the shaft R and adapted to engage the gear P, the horizontal shaft R journaled on the side of the foundation, the collars U provided with the plates F, the exhaust levers G mounted on the side of the foundation, and adapted to engage the plates F, the exhaust valves H,

adapted to engage the levers G, the plate S suitably mounted on the shaft R, the contact spring T adapted to engage the plate S, the wire R attached to the spring T at one end and to one pole of a battery S, the battery S, the wire T attached at one end to the second pole of the battery and at the other end to one of the horizontal arms E, the wire U having its ends attached to each of the arms E, the arms D attached to the arms E, the arms 0 adapted to engage the arms D, the shafts B inserted in the side of the cylinder, the arms 0 being attached to such shafts B, the arms A attached to the shafts B and adapted to engage grooves V in the collars U,

1 the supply valves 1 provided with operating springs J, and the connecting supply pipe K, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

4. In a gas-engine, the combination with a double-ended cylinder and its double-headed piston 01": a suitable piston inserted transversely in the center of such piston, a suitable divided connecting rod attached to such piston-rod and to the crank shaft, such crankshaft suitably mounted on a foundation, suit: able operating shafts, gears, pinions, and levers, a suitable electrical igniter, suitable exhaust valves, suitable supply valves I mounted on the cylinder, the springs J adapted to maintain the valves I in closed position, the connecting pipe K provided with check valves L and gage-cocks M, the governor N suitably mounted on the pipe K, the belt 0 adapted to engage such governor and the pulley P, and the pulley P mounted on the shaft J, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E.COVEY. GEORGE W. HAINES.

Witnesses:

MALBRY HAYNES, JOSHUA B. WEBSTER. 

